Silky Heart
by ShipperFag
Summary: Emerald and post-Emerald. On one side of the boat, Sapphire and Winona are talking about their love problems. But on the other side of the boat, Ruby and Wallace were also having a 'meaningful conversation'... -RubySapph;Frantic, WallaceWinona;Graceful


ShipperFag is writing Frantic again! Yay!! So perhaps 'Silky Heart' wouldn't have worked for this pair before-hand, but 'that scene' has been out for quite awhile now, so who says the lyrics of this song can't work? Anyway, remember that boat scene in the Emerald arc? The one where Ruby and Sapph are on Briney's Ship with the wedding? Well, this is Wallace and Ruby's conversation and another conversation of Winona and Sapphire's in the post-Emerald... I clearly have no motivation in this story... :(

**Silky Heart o1**

So there they were, sailing with Mr. Briney on the S.S. Tidal, on a mission to meet up with Emerald, as well as attending the wedding of Wally's cousin and her fiance.

On the opposite side of the dock, Winona and Sapphire were standing and having a conversation. Whatever they were talking about, they seemed pretty absorbed in it, Ruby mused. He saw that his Master Wallace was also glancing in their direction. While Ruby wasn't too comfortable talking about the 'love' department, he couldn't help but ask.

"Thinking if you and Winona-san could have a wedding like this?" he blurted out. Wallace turned towards him in surprise, his face slightly pink.

"Erm..." was Wallace's reply. "She doesn't want to have things back like the way they were before. I was thinking if I should just let her go..."

"Don't say that," Ruby said simply. "I'm pretty sure she likes you back, judging by what I heard from Sapphire." Wallace gazed at the bride, who was now walking very slowly up the aisle as Pachelbell Canon played.

"You DID become a Gym Leader just so you could be closer to her, did you not?" Ruby questioned. "I think she really honors you for that."

"I suppose," Wallace said. "I have chased after her all this time, yet..."

"Don't you dare think of cutting her off," Ruby warned. "From what Sapphire told me, she really likes you and would probably be devastated if you stopped giving chase."

"Speaking of Sapphire," Wallace said, desperate to change the subject. "What about your little... ah, issue, with her? Why, may I ask, do you keep denying the memory of the confes-"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" the red-faced boy yelped, interrupting the question. Before he realized what he had said, Wallace smiled.

"So now you repeat it like a line from a play," he stated.

"..."

"At least tell me your reasons. You would not disobey your master, would you not?" Ruby flinched.

"I-I guess I didn't feel ready. No..." he muttered. He looked at Wallace straight in the eye. "I still remember that vow to her I made as a child. I wanted to show her how much I've changed. I used to mean that I've changed into a more 'civil young man', but now that isn't the case." Wallace looked at him, listening. Ruby took a deep breath. "I want to become a stronger person in terms of... of soul. Both she and Master... you've seen how selfish I was. I want to change that. And then, I can tell her that I've-- that I've--" he seemed at lost for words now.

Wallace just smiled. "Those are some deep and thoughtful words. If you ask me, you have indeed changed and grown into a stronger person with a strong spirit."

Wallene was now at the altar. Her groom, Riley, awaited.

After the 'I Do' ceremony, Ruby and Wallace turned their attention back towards the wedding. They clapped as the other attendees cheered and roared with joy.

Soon, the ship would be nearing the Battle Frontier. Ruby braced himself as he walked over towards Sapphire, who was talking heatedly to a wary Winona.

"Hey there!" Ruby yelled. "What are you gals chattering about?"

"WE'RE NOT CHATTERING, YOU TWIT!!" Sapphire snapped.

"Talking on and on about meaningless things means your chattering, you know?" was his smug reply. This didn't calm Sapphire's temper any more.

"And how would YOU know if it was meaningless or not?!" she retorted.

"Oh, so you were having a meaningful conversation then?"

"YES, WE WERE!"'

"What kind of meaningful conversation?"

"AND WHY SHOULD I BE TELLING YOU?!"

While all this was going on, Wallace and Winona had been watching, obviously amused with the two. "Now settle down, you two! Winona and I have to attend the wedding reception, but both of you are here on a mission, aren't you?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"If my flimsy silky heart

Gets hurt this time, then I'm sure

I won't be able to love anyone ever again

The splitting sound that echoes in my chest

Is at the bottom of my memories, I'm sure

The sewing kit that I forgot to put away

On that day should be around somewhere..."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After Guile Hideout had been defeated, things were pretty much back the way they had been earlier, only Emerald was now part of their trio, which he stubbornly insisted he wasn't. Sapphire and Ruby were well-aware that he actually did enjoy being their friend.

One day, Sapphire was training in Fortree, when suddenly the conversation started to focus on Wallace and Ruby once more.

"Wh-why is it that we always talk about our love problems whenever we meet for training?" Sapphire suddenly blurted out. Winona shrugged.

"You must really like Ruby then, if you keep bringing him up," Winona teased.

"St-stop making fun of me!" Sapphire cried with a blush spread all over her face. Winona laughed.

"Payback for what happened on the S.S. Tidal," she explained. Sapphire frowned, still blushing.

"I-I already said that I think it's over!" she pouted.

"You're just not being honest with yourself," Winona said calmly. Sapphire slumped down onto the table, hiding her face with her hands.

"B-b-but..." she muttered.

"Stop being so stubborn," Winona insisted. "You have to let some of your feelings pour out." Sapphire looked at her skeptically. Winona sighed. "I was like that only a short time ago, yes. But don't mistake me for a hypocrite. I've been making myself be candid about my feelings. And you?"

"I... All the 24 for hours of the day... whenever I think of him, it just makes my irritating emotions overflow!" Sapphire complained. "And... and even if it's simple to say 'I love you', whenever he approaches, it's... it's my character that just interferes with me!"

"There you go!" Winona said proudly. "You're being a bit more honest with yourself. Just slowly let your feelings escape!" Sapphire gave her a pointed look.

"That sounds cheesy," she muttered with a blush sprawled out on her face.

Winona glanced at her to let her know she was listening.

"M-maybe just this little while... I'll be honest..." she murmured. "If it's ordinary, I can go on strong, but that's just my personality... No matter how hard I try... I can't shatter the wall..."

"Oh Sapphire," Winona sighed. "What happened to the proud side of yours?"

"He said he forgot!" Sapphire shouted, upset by this ordeal. "Now he's practically telling me I have to try harder! I WANT to send him my feelings! So I try to send a gaze of 'I like you' with my greatest courage! But being an oblivious idiot-!!" She gripped the tablecloth so hard her knuckles turned white. "HE doesn't realize anything at all!! He just thinks of my as a friend! No - he thinks of me as some weird wild 'barbarian'!! I bet he thinks of me as a guy!"

"I'm sorry for riling you up about it," Winona said quietly. "I should've known it upset you this much. Just remember that you still have a bright future ahead of you, right?"

"No..." Sapphire disagreed sadly. "It's all his fault! It's all his fault that I'm weak! I'm not strong, he acts like I am!"

"You're strong," Winona protested in a placid voice. Sapphire looked at the ground.

"Thank you, coach," she said, smiling. "You've helped me a lot, see you tomorrow!"

"Goodnight, Sapphire," Winona called as she ran out the door.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"When I met you, I finally noticed

My flimsy silky heart

Even if I was awkward at love

The scar of romance that I almost forgot about

Suddenly started to hurt with a twinge

If I don't say 'I love you' like myself

Someday...I'll become weaker than I am now"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"WHAT?!" Sapphire snapped, picking up her PokeNav. Recently, Devon Co. had given her one and installed a phone into it, along with Ruby's.

"Whoa, hey!" Ruby protested on the other end of the line, sighing. "Do you always have to kill someone by ear if your phone rings?"

"I didn't, idiot!" Sapphire retorted. "What do you want?!"

"Um... nothing," Ruby said stupidly.

"THEN DON'T CALL ME!!" Sapphire shouted. She was in a grouchy mood.

Just as she was about to hang up the phone, Ruby called, "Wait!"

"What?!"

"Your birthday is tomorrow, right?" Ruby asked. Sapphire was surprised. On the other end of the line, Ruby's neck was growing hot.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Uhm... if you could come back to Littleroot, I have a birthday present... for you..." he said quietly. Sapphire blushed.

"Su-sure!" she agreed. "I'll be there tomorrow... ASAP!" (she pronounced ASAP like 'ah-sop') "Hey, what does ASAP mean anyway?"

"Er, it's English for 'As soon as possible'," Ruby informed her.

"That's... stupid!" Sapphire stated. "As soon as possible sounds nothing like that!*"

"It's English!" Ruby protested.

"Yes, but still!" While the two continued to argue back and fourth, the world seemed to lighten up a bit. The setting sun didn't look quite so much like it was drowning.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

(This last chorus represents both Ruby and Sapphire)

"When I met you, I finally noticed

My flimsy silky heart

Even if I was awkward at love

Even if I were to pretend to be strong on purpose

To hide my weaknesses, I'm sure

That I'll properly tell you my feelings

And say 'I love you' like myself someday"

END.

* * *

*1 - 'As soon as possible' in Japanese is roughly 'dekirudake hayaku'!

Song is Silky Heart sung by Yui Horie from Toradora! I did a brief translation of only a few lines, but the rest of the credit goes to AnimeLyrics. :) I hope you enjoyed this one-shot! :D


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